How do you like your coffee? Gerry Leary, my latest guest, is the owner of The Unseen Bean in Boulder, CO… and he takes “dark” roast to a whole new level. Gerry was born blind and worked as a car mechanic for 40 years before opening his gourmet roastery in 2003. We chat about his […]
Spring has sprung in Colorado, but it was a blast in early March to make my annual ice climbing pilgrimage to Keene NY, in the Adirondacks, to ice climb with my old friend, Ian Osteyee. I even got to lead the classic Chouinard Gulley. Check it out! Video description: A 2-minute highlight reel of our […]
One down, one to go! Thanks, Denver Target for setting up a pharmacy to help get folks vaccinated, and thank you to all the healthcare workers and volunteers who are stepping up to get the job done. #NoBarriers Photo Credit: Pauline Shaffer
Nevada’s Red Rock Canyon is not a place made for blind adventurers. The approaches are really involved to get to the rock formations, nevermind climbing them after! You certainly have to earn your right to be there — navigating a labyrinth of paths, squeezing through cactus fields, and scrambling along washes for an hour or […]
On February 3rd, my friend, Matt Nyman was tragically killed in an avalanche in Alaska along with two other hikers. I met Matt in 2011 when he took part in our first Soldiers to Summits (now No Barriers Warriors) program as part of the 10-year anniversary of our 2001 Summit of Mt. Everest. My Everest […]
We celebrated our 100th episode of the No Barriers Podcast by speaking with the award-winning journalist and photojournalist Ann Curry. We discuss the human condition and the spirit of “Ganbaru,” the Japanese term for persistence and relentless hard work. I hope you tune in to her story and share it with your family, friends, and coworkers. […]
My friend Michael, owner of Serac Adventure Films, is an award-winning filmmaker whose talents have been instrumental to my Rope Team since 2001. We first worked together when Michael captured our historic ascent of Everest in Farther Than the Eye Can See. After that, he returned twice to the Himalayas with me: Once in 2004 […]
International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate women’s achievements around the world — women like my friend Melissa Simpson who #ChooseToChallenge the status quo. Melissa was born with cerebral palsy and knows as well as anyone that living a No Barriers Life does not mean living a life without barriers. Rather, who you are and what you’re […]
Ice climbing is a fickle hobby. Conditions are rare both in terms of weather and topography to create perfect flows. Water needs to slowly seep out of steep cliffs that in most places of the world are ever-shaded, North-facing gullies. Too warm and the ice will not harden or will not form at all. The […]
Since going blind as a teenager, I’ve had five guide dogs; each one has been unique with distinct personalities. My first, Wizard, loved catching pop flies as I launched tennis balls sky-high; Seigo was a friendly lovable giant who once stole a bagel out of a little kid’s hand and inhaled it in one fell swoop; […]
